Solutions to commuting have been proposed to allow access to the congested parts of cities using public transport, including use of a motor car to the edge of the restricted zone, and then use of an un-motorized vehicle to move into the congested zone (e.g. of a city).
For using public transport, there is a need for transport from the point of starting the journey to a point of connection with the public transport. That is, two short distance transport problems, known in academic literature as the first and last mile; these are a big barrier to the integration of public transport into a user's daily routine.
It would be very convenient to have a simple vehicle that minimises space, weight and also makes the best use of human propulsion and the fact that floor surfaces in cities are mainly smooth and adapted to wheeled transport. Various vehicles have been proposed either to address this problem or as hobby or sports devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,991 RYAN describes a unicycle with a self-steering arrangement comprising a pair of wheels on a pivot pin journalled on the vehicle frame on an oblique angle. FR2776980 MASQUELIER describes an improved monocycle having a castor providing a second point of ground support in the rear of the monocycle. U.S. Pat. No. D641,667 RYAN shows a motorised two wheeled bicycle comprising a larger front wheel and a smaller rear wheel, with a seat for the user and handle bars attached to the seat.
JP2011063240 and JP2011063182 TAKENAKA describe an inversion pendulum type vehicle. CN2860988 ZHANG describes an electric unicycle. U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,271 KAMEN describes a dynamic balancing vehicle with a seat. U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,817 KAMEN describes a device comprising a platform supporting a payload and a motorised drive arrangement and a user input control to control the device. US20100198493 and US20070257451 FURUTA describe a car having a leg for walking. FR1513176 MUNIER describes a single wheeled cycle with stabilisers. DE3506026 MAUERHOFF describes a vehicle with a frame in the form of a three legged stand and rolling or sliding elements. US2011175319 CHEN describes a powered unicycle with a steerable wheel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,606 CASNER describes an operator propelled cycle with a pair of trailing wheels. US2007/0158117 ALEXANDER describes a powered unicycle comprising a single wheel driven by a motor, with a handle bar coupled to the wheel by a pillar.
EP638475 HINDERHOFER describes a *scooter with a steerable front wheel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,547 VARVEREK describes a scooter with a rear wheel which turns automatically upon tilting of the scooter frame. US2008/0217085 WERNLI and US2010/0225088 describe a three wheeled scooter, comprising a longitudinal chassis, a larger front wheel non-pivotally mounted to a frame and a pair of rear mounted yawable smaller wheels to allow steering. US2008/0143073 UNGAR describes a foot propelled wheeled hobby or support device for propelling whilst standing on with a large wheel, two side plates attached to the axle, foot rests and a satellite wheel. US2006/0038372 GOCZEY describes a hobby or sports device comprising a single wheel between two side plates attached to the axle in the form of a yoke, with foot rests extending out from the side plates and handle bars for the user to grip rising from the yoke. U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,656 IBARRA describes a steerable toy comprising a skate board bicycle combination with an elongated footboard and a pair of wheels attached to the rear. U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,189 HINDERHOFER describes a scooter comprising a large front wheel, a footboard and a steering yoke attached to the front wheel. US2002/007051 RAPPAPORT describes a dual footboard scooter comprising a front wheel or ski coupled to a steering post and a rigid tricycle format frame having a bifurcated format, rearward extensions, which support a rear wheel or ski each.
US20020047245 GREENE describes a three wheeled vehicle having a pair of rear wheels and a kingpin axis spaced by a trail dimension from the rear axle axis. U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,934 WALLIS describes a tricycle with a pair of rear wheels and a rear sub-frame tiltable with respect to a main frame. U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,528 RADEMACHER describes a steering axle mount for a wheeled toy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,231 MULCAHY describes a steering mechanism for three wheeled vehicles. EP0026800 RITCHIE describes a folding bicycle with the rear wheel hinged to the main frame. U.S. Pat. No. 2,330,147 RODRIGUEZ describes a scooter car chassis and truck.
Also, some vehicles have been made available on the internet: SBYKE (http://www.sbyke.com), the MAGIC WHEEL (http://www.magicwheel.com) and the YIKEBIKE (http://www.yikebike.com) and BERGMONCH bike (www.bergmoech.com). Older vehicles include the Laufmachine, the Drasine and a bicycle with Whatton handle bars.
Further documents include US2008/217085 WERNLI, U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,264 DOUGLAS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,272 DAVENPORT, US2008/0143073 UNGAR, JP2001095865 HIGANO.
The above vehicles have, in the main, not seen widespread adoption for one reason or another.
There is a continuing need for a non-motorized vehicle that make the best use of human propulsion, that is very easy to use and easy to transport in crowded environments for example public transport such as buses or trains, and easy to transport in the boot of a car.
Attempts to solve the problem with simpler vehicles such as foldable scooters and skateboards have been proposed as aids in commuting, being easy to carry in other forms of transport (such as trains, buses and cars). These have failed to achieve widespread adoption for various reasons. There is therefore a continuing need to provide a vehicle which has low rolling resistance, is simple and safer to use, compact in size and of low weight. Furthermore, improving human propulsion, in non-motorised vehicles, can enable people to extend their capabilities in terms of distance traveled for an equivalent amount of energy and/or strength expended. This applies to fit, healthy individuals who may wish to use such a self-propelled vehicle for transport and/or exercise and to less fit and healthy individuals who may wish to use such a vehicle to improve their ability to exercise and/or transport themselves safely. There is a continuing need to improve upon existing self-propulsion vehicles to enable a wider variety of individuals to use self-propulsion vehicles in a wider variety of circumstances, e.g. for the weak or infirm to improve their ability to exercise.
The present invention seeks to alleviate one or more problems described above.